Figure D
College wage premium, by gender, 1973–2017
| Date | Premium (Men Regression-based) | Premium (Women Regression-based) |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 25.1% | 40.4% |
| 1974 | 24.7% | 37.5% |
| 1975 | 25.2% | 38.7% |
| 1976 | 24.6% | 35.8% |
| 1977 | 23.0% | 33.6% |
| 1978 | 22.3% | 32.5% |
| 1979 | 21.3% | 29.5% |
| 1980 | 23.0% | 30.3% |
| 1981 | 23.8% | 30.4% |
| 1982 | 25.4% | 31.5% |
| 1983 | 27.5% | 33.8% |
| 1984 | 29.8% | 35.5% |
| 1985 | 31.0% | 37.7% |
| 1986 | 32.7% | 38.4% |
| 1987 | 35.1% | 40.2% |
| 1988 | 35.0% | 40.7% |
| 1989 | 34.4% | 43.0% |
| 1990 | 36.6% | 44.8% |
| 1991 | 36.4% | 43.0% |
| 1992 | 37.7% | 44.8% |
| 1993 | 38.0% | 45.1% |
| 1994 | 37.9% | 46.6% |
| 1995 | 37.7% | 47.1% |
| 1996 | 37.9% | 46.2% |
| 1997 | 39.3% | 47.0% |
| 1998 | 42.1% | 47.8% |
| 1999 | 42.7% | 48.9% |
| 2000 | 44.1% | 48.9% |
| 2001 | 44.8% | 49.4% |
| 2002 | 44.1% | 48.1% |
| 2003 | 43.7% | 47.7% |
| 2004 | 43.3% | 47.0% |
| 2005 | 44.7% | 48.4% |
| 2006 | 44.4% | 49.4% |
| 2007 | 46.2% | 50.1% |
| 2008 | 46.3% | 50.9% |
| 2009 | 46.5% | 48.1% |
| 2010 | 47.8% | 49.3% |
| 2011 | 46.6% | 49.9% |
| 2012 | 48.4% | 49.7% |
| 2013 | 49.7% | 50.7% |
| 2014 | 46.4% | 51.4% |
| 2015 | 49.5% | 51.6% |
| 2016 | 52.1% | 49.8% |
| 2017 | 49.1% | 50.1% |
*Percent by which wages of college graduates exceed those of otherwise equivalent high school graduates, regression adjusted
Source: Economic Policy Institute analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group (ORG) microdata
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